Karachi the flattest pitch in the world...?

Question

In 18 ODI's in Karachi (Pakistan) there have been 14 scores of over 300. On average teams score at 5.70 RPO at this ground and teams lose wickets every 39 runs!!.

No other ground in the world gets close to these stats!

Is it fair of Groundsman/staff to keep preparing lifeless pitches for the bowlers? Will all groundstaff start to prepare lifeless tracks so that the fans are "Entertained".

Is ODI cricket only about scoring 300+ runs a match! Should something be done to stop batsman having it so easy these days?

Answer 1

yes it is

Answer 2

I fully agree with your views.  I strongly feel that the pitches should give opportunity to both batsmen and bowlers, so as to make the game more intertesting

Answer 3

Asians( particularly India) have always done this for their own benifit & I don't see it about to change.It is grossly unfair & there should be an agreement in international cricket to stamp it out.

Edit: the user below me(OZ) knows not how to tell the truth. I have never directed hatred towards anyone here as everyone knows. Sure,  I support my own team, but who doesn't? OZ is the only person in YA I have issue with as he has posted damaging & libelous content in YA about another well known user.He's using his ever changing accs to terrorise & abuse others. I have been watching cricket for many more years then anyone here I would think, & what I say about the asian pitches has long been regarded by the rest of the cricketing world to be a fact. If he doesnt agree, then say so, but do not abuse me for my opinion!

Edit, I did not make this comment about Oracle, but OZ, who has once again posted his poison & deleted his own Q, but he wasn't quick enough this time! lol

Answer 4

Whatever  happened to freedom of views? Has any Asian ever complained about the pitches when matches in Australia are low scoring ones? I believe the true test of any player is when he performs on all kinds of surfaces and conditions.How will you discover a good player if you don't have all surfaces?  For example, Brett Lee could be called great because he performs on Asian tracks as well. How would you like it if he was compared to, say, R.P.Singh, who finds the going tough on Indian tracks? Also, the flatness of the track can never stop great bowling performances, take the case of Ajantha Mendis recently. It is only the mediocre who complain of tracks and conditions.

Everyone has their own idea of entertainment. In England and Australia, while it gets tilted towards the bowlers, here in Asia, it is towards the batsmen. What is wrong in that? If a team can score 300+ on Asian tracks, you need to analyze it as in the other team does not have exceptional bowlers. Just as the pitches in Australia and SA expose ordinary bowling, Asian pitches expose ordinary batting.

One needs to take it as a challenge and not only pander to one's own comfort zone.

Edit: KooKee, if giving a contrary view is considered as 'moaning' in your dictionary, then I shall definitely 'shhh up' for you. But for the record, I never even hinted that you were biased against India. Good luck.

Answer 5

Dear Kookee,

Q. Is it fair of Groundsman/staff to keep preparing lifeless pitches for the bowlers?

A. All I can say...it was done on purpose to make the tournament high scoring and keep the hoi polloi entertained.

In the context of what they wanted to achieve the groundsman did a good job.

In the context of asian teams it can be considered fair. It probably gave a fair advantage to India and SL, especially the spinners.

It was probably not fair for the hosts though. As you know Pakistan have relied a lot on pace attack over the years, although there have been some great spin bowlers like Saqlain and Abdul Qadir. (Please discount recent absences because of non-cricketing reasons ....read politics).

Q Will all ground-staff start to prepare lifeless tracks so that the fans are "Entertained".

A. No. It is the prerogative of the hosts. Good bowling can be equally entertaining.

Q. Is ODI cricket only about scoring 300+ runs a match! Should something be done to stop batsman having it so easy these days?

A. You mean is ODI cricket only about batting? Maybe that was the design, it does restrict the bowler somewhat. Its shortest version (20/20) is even more so.

Q. Should something be done to stop batsman having it so easy these days?

A. Mendis and Murali ensured that batsmen did not have things easy in the finals.

Rehman of Multan

Answer 6

Some of the more interesting matches are the lower scoring ones.

Fans want to see a spectacle, not boundaries getting constantly hammered.

However, the Asian block seem to prefer watching a run glut. Their fans obviously feel it is exciting, watching the ball flying over the boundary with monotonous regularity.

Here are a few ideas of mine to spice up the game:

Bigger boundaries. The batsmen will have to work for their runs, and it will encourage the spinners to be more attacking.

Abolish fielding restrictions. Captains will then have to choose between having all their men on the boundary, and letting the batters push easy singles, or setting fields that both defend, and look to take wickets.

Uncovered pitches. Let the elements have their say. Then we'll see how good Tendulkar, Ponting, Lara et al are on a 'sticky dog'

Ban heavy bats.

Make groundsmen prepare pitches with a bit of life in them.

Answer 7

Yes something should be done.

Cricket is not just a batsmans game, say a batsman made his debut there and scored quite a bit of runs , lets say about 70 odd from about 50 odd or less balls then he atomatically gets a good strike rate aswell as a good average and an advantage of getting picked again. He may not be as good on other grounds in which his performances may let him down making him get kicked out the team and maybe not get a chance again. because the other pitches that he may play on may not be as flat and therefore not do anything for him.

Pitches need to be fair on all players of the game and should not just be advantaged to batsman or just bowlers even.

The groundsmen of the Karachi ground need to get off their backide and do something about it before the champions trophy.

We all want to be entertained but a simple and realistic game of cricket is good enough.

Answer 8

Yeh most probably it is but the wickets in WI when SL toured recently was pretty flat as well.I mean sure make a wicket that suits spinners if you don't have fast bowlers but all out batting tacks are boring.

Answer 9

Yes!!